Measurements of heavy ion beam losses from collimation

The collimation efficiency for ²⁰⁸Pb⁸²⁺ ion beams in the LHC is predicted to be lower than requirements. Nuclear fragmentation and electromagnetic dissociation in the primary collimators create fragments with a wide range of Z/A ratios, which are not intercepted by the secondary collimators but lost where the dispersion has grown sufficiently large. In this article we present measurements and simulations of loss patterns generated by a prototype LHC collimator in the CERN SPS. Measurements were performed at two different energies and angles of the collimator. We also compare with proton loss maps and find a qualitative difference between ²⁰⁸Pb⁸²⁺ ions and protons, with the maximum loss rate observed at different places in the ring. This behavior was predicted by simulations and provides a valuable benchmark of our understanding of ion beam losses caused by collimation.